Gnashed his iron teeth for grief and spite : The burning sparks leap from his flaming sight, And from his smoking jaws streams out a smould’ring night. XLI. Straight thither sends he in a fresh supply, The swelling band that drunken Methos led; And all the rout his brother Gluttony Commands, in lawless bands disordered; So now they bold restore their broken fight, Freshly these Knights assault these fresher bands, Agneia, Machus and Anagnus slew; And spying Methos fenc'd in's iron vine, Pierc'd his swollen paunch: there lies the drunken swine, And spues his liquid soul out in his purple wine, XLIII. As when a greedy lion, long unfed, Breaks in at length into the harmless folds; Mean while the simple flock gaze on with silent fears. Such was the slaughter these three champions made; Sent thousand foes down to th' infernal shade, Oft were they succour'd fresh with new supplies, But fell as oft-the Dragon, grown more wise By former loss, began another way devise. XLV. Soon to their aid the Cyprian band he sent, And painted quivers, furnish'd well for fight, Stuck full of shafts, whose heads foul poison stains ; Bring thousand painful deaths, and thousand deadly pains. Thereto of substance strong, so thin and slight, And wrought by subtil hand so cunningly, Much were the knighs encumber'd with these foes; Than do their winged arrows through the wind: As when by Russian Volgha's frozen banks, The false-back Tartars, fear, with cunning feign, And posting fast away in flying ranks, Oft backward turn, and from their bows down rain Whole storms of darts; so do they flying fight: Such was the craft of this false Cyprian crew: Fly, fly chaste knights, such subtil enemies : L. The knights oppress'd with wounds and travel past, Shade we our scorched heads from Phœbus' parching fire." THE shepherds, guarded from the sparkling heat II. "Thrice, oh, thrice happy, shepherd's life and state! When courts are happiness, unhappy pawns : His cottage low, and safely humble gate Shuts out proud Fortune, with her scorns and fawns: No feared treason breaks his quiet sleep: Singing all day, his flocks he learns to keep; Himself as innocent as are his simple sheep. III. No Serian worms he knows, that with their thread No empty hopes, no courtly fears him fright; Instead of music, and base flattering tongues, And birds' sweet whistling notes unlock his eyes.. 1 In country plays is all the strife he uses; V. His certain life, that never can deceive him, Is full of thousand sweets, and rich content: Of troubl'ous world, nor lost in slothful ease: Pleas'd and full blest he lives, when he his God can please. VI. His bed of wool yields safe and quiet sleeps, While by his side his faithful spouse hath place: His little son into his bosom creeps The lively picture of his father's face: Never his humble house or state torment him ; Less he could like, if less his God had sent him And when he dies, green turfs, with grassy tomb, content him. VII. The world's Great Light his lowly state hath bless'd, Then thou High Light! whom shepherds low adore, Teach me, oh! do thou teach thy humble swain To raise my creeping song from earthly floor! |